Page:The Fall of Constantinople.djvu/91

 DYNASTIC TROUBLES. 73 though at the time lie was friendless, he escaped from his guards during their journey towards the capital. While pass- ing through a forest he pretended on several occasions that it was necessary for him to dismount in consequence of severe diarrhoea, and on one of these occasions he disappeared into the forest and was lost, leaving, however, behind him a cloak and hat, fixed on the stick with which he had, apparently with difficulty, supported himself. Subsequently he reached Jaroslaf, the Eussian Prince of Galitza.' His attendant, who had aided him in his house, was a faithful Turk. He was ar- rested, and, after being beaten, was led through the streets with a cord round his neck, preceded by a herald, who cried aloud, "Thus will he be punished who aids the enemies of the em- peror." The brave fellow replied, " I am willing to be ac- cused of the crime so lonfi: as I am not charo^ed with havinjr betrayed my benefactor or being ungrateful to him." Andronicos was welcomed by the Governor of Galitza, and made himself so popular that the emperor, fearing that he would ally himself with the Russians, gave him assurances that he would not be molested, and invited him to return to the capital. Manuel's first wife was now dead, and, though the emperor had again married, he had no son. On setting out on a war against Desa, Prince of Servia, the emperor exacted an oath from his nobles that on his death they would recognize Alex- is, King of Hungary, and his wife Maria, w^lio was Manuel's daugliter, as emperor and empress. The only person who re- fused to accept this oath was Andronicos. There can be little doubt that, as he regarded himself as having as much right to the throne as Manuel, he was unwilling to encumber himself with a promise which would have lessened his chances of suc- cession. He alleged, however, that as the emperor had married again, he might still have a son, and that in such case the oath would be valueless. The emperor, finding he could not ob- tain his consent, made him governor of Cilicia, and thus vir- tually sent him into banishment at Tarsus. As a governor he ^ Nicetas, p. 168.